Page:The Pentamerone, or The Story of Stories.djvu/435

Rh tranola—Rrè mmazziero—Gatta cecata—La lampa a la lampa—Stienne mia cortina—Ttravo luongo—Le Gallenelle—Lo viecchio n' è benuto—Scarreca varrile—Mammara a Nnocella—Saglie pengola—Li Forasciute—Sgarriglia Mastodatto—Vienela vienela—Che tiene 'mmano l'aco e lo ffilo—Auciello, auciello, mancca de fierro—Grieco o Acito—Aprite, aprite porte a ppovere Farcone.

Covalera is similar to our 'Hide and Seek'; but in the Neapolitan game one seeks and all the rest hide themselves. Cortese (a contemporary poet and friend of Basile) explains it thus:—The seeker is chosen by counting of the party (juocano a lo tuocco): he must declare that he will not look where the others hide. When all are hidden, they call out 'Vienela, viene!' (Come, come!). When he finds any one, he holds him fast and cries out, 'Auciello, auciello!' (Bird, bird!), upon which the one caught has in turn to seek.

Cortese, in one of his letters to Messer Uneco, (probably Basile himself under this name,) gives a description of most of these games, and many more. That called here Agnelo is probably a dance in a ring mentioned in his "Ciullo e Penia," in which they sing—

A la rota, a la rota. Mastr' Angelo ce joca. Nee joca la Zita E Madama Margarita."

Round about, round about, Master Angel, play with us, The young wife also plays with us, And Madame Margarita."

The rest of the verses are wanting, Galiani observes; but the song appears to come from the times of Charles III. of Durazzo (died 1386), and Queen Margaretha of Anjou.

Scarreca Varrile (Unload the cask) is similar to our Leapfrog, only that one jumps upon, not over, the other's back.

Mammara a Nocella is, I think, like our 'Ride a-cherry-stone.' Two persons join hands, and form a seat, upon which a third sits 2 D